ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by

D. APPLETON & CO.,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the . Southern District of New York.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Statement of the Question.-General Sentiment of the Country, in regard to Slavery, be-

fore the War.-Condition of the Negroes in the North and in the South.-The Slaves

of Jonathan Edwards.-The Declaration of Independence, and Mr. Jefferson's Com-

ment.-A Provision of the Constitution, and Votes of Northern Members of the

Convention.-Alexander Hamilton in "The Federalist" upon the Mixed Character of

Slaves.-Washington, in regard to a Fugitive Slave.-The Ordinance of 1787.-The

Resolution of Congress in 1790.-Views of Southern Members at that Time.-Article

X. of the Constitution.-Memorials to Congress for Abolition in the District of Co-

lumbia.-J. Q. Adams on the Subject.-Virginia and other States early for Emanci-

pation by Gradual Process, but set back by Abolition Movements in the North.

Page 1

CHAPTER II.

Sectionalism.-The Right of Petition.-The District of Columbia.-The Missouri Com-

promise.-State of Political Parties.-The Tariff Question.-" Aggression.”—Mr.

Jefferson, on the Missouri Question.-Admission of States before 1820.-Territories

Organized in Conformity with the Wishes of the Inhabitants.-State of Sentiment at

the North-Southern Youths in Northern Colleges.-Northern School-books-Exag-

gerated Descriptions of Slavery at the South,

85

CHAPTER III.

The former "Federalist" and "Republican" Parties.-Political Questions during Mr.

Monroe's Administration, and that of Mr. Adams and General Jackson.--Certain

Sources of Good Feeling between the Sections.-West Indian Emancipation.-George

Thompson.-Anti-Abolition Meeting in Boston.-John Henry.-Great Britain and

the United States.-Washington's Advice.-Mr. Roebuck's Speech at Sheffield, June

10th, 1865.-Progress of Abolition.-Views of President Jackson, Governor Marcy,

Governor Everett, and Mr. Clay,

62

CHAPTER IV.

"Aggression" against the South in Active Operation at the North for Thirty Years be-

fore the War.-Resolutions of Congress, in 1836.-Action of the Legislature of Massa-

chusetts upon the Resolutions of Five Southern States.-Conflict in Congress, in re-

gard to Abolition Memorials, in 1887.-Its Resolution.-Remarks of Mr. Benton upon

the Result.-The "Partisan Leader."-Mr. Van Buren.-The 21st Rule."-The

Whig Party.-The Liberty Party.-The Shufflers among the Northern Democratic

Leaders,
Page 104

CHAPTER V.

The Political Canvass of 1840.-The Whig Party Success.-A Whig Governor's Abolition

Address to the Massachusetts Legislature, in 1844.-Revolutionary Resolutions of the

same Legislatur, their Presentation in Congress, and the Disposition made of them.

-Resolutions of United States House of Representatives.-Appointment of a Massa-

chusetts Commissioner to Charleston, South Carolina, and his Reception.-Its Effect.

-The Expediency of the Measure considered.-Repeal of the "21st Rule."-The

Texas Question.-The State of Parties.-Dissolution menaced by the Legislature of

Massachusetts, in 1845,

125

CHAPTER VI.

The Whig Party and Democratic Party compete with each other for Liberty Party Votes.

"The Higher Law."-The "Slave Power."-The Uniformly Superior Physical

Power of the North.-Mr. Cass and Mr. Seward in the Senate.-President Taylor.-

Condition of Slavery.-National Greatness does not consist in the Extent of Popu-

lation, or any mere Physical Causes,
135

CHAPTER VIL

State of Public Sentiment at the Close of the Year 1849.-California and New Mexico.-Mr.

Webster's Speech of March 7th, 1850.-Trimming Politicians.-Sentimental Politicians.

-The Church as a Political Engine.-M. Clay's Compromise Resolutions.-Petition for

Dissolution of the Union.-Mr. Hale, Mr. Seward, and Mr. Chase vote to receive it.—

Washington's Farewell Address.-Mr. Calhoun's Resolutions.-Action of Southern

Members of Congress.-Mr. Webster.-The Compromise Measures of 1850.-State

Sovereignty. The Fugitive Slave Laws of 1793 and of 1850.-The Missouri Compro-

mise abrogated by the Measures of 1850,
178

CHAPTER VIII.

The Several Compromises in regard to Slavery.-Death of Mr. Calhoun.-Death of President

Taylor. The "Seward Whigs" and Mr. Webster's 7th of March Speech.-Political

Calm after the Passage of the Measures of 1850.-The Conservative Interest strongly in

the ascendant.-The Fugitive Slave Act and " Personal Liberty Bills."-Sectional Senti-

ment and its Local Causes.-Coalition of 1851, between Democrats and Freesoilers in

Massachusetts, to choose a Senator in place of Mr. Webster, and State Officers.-Rescues

of Fugitive Slaves, and Rendition of them.-Mr. Choate.-Demoralizing Influence of

the Coalition,

.209

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IX.

National Politics.-Union Sentiment.-Mr. Fillmore's Administration.-The Democratic

National Convention of 1852.-It adopts fully the Compromises of 1850.-The Whig

National Convention of that Year does the same.-Resolutions of the Freesoil Conven-

tion at Pittsburg, denouncing those Measures.-Insignificance of the latter Party, at

that Period.-Action of the Whig Convention.-Availability, instead of Sound Policy.-

Growing Conservatism of the Democracy.-The Native American Party.-How com-

posed. Its "National Council," in 1855, adopts the Compromises of 1850.-But its

"Lodges" corrupted by admitting Political Freesoilers into Fellowship.-The

"National Council," in 1856, changes Front.-Decay of Public Virtue.-The faithful

of the old Whig Party.-Policy of the Democrats,

Page 236

CHAPTER X.

Administration of President Pierce.-Position of the Democratic Party.-President

Pierce's Message to Congress in December, 1853.-" Domestic Controversies passing

away."-The Civil War began in Kansas.-Statement of the Question in regard to

Kansas.-Mr. Webster's Views of the Effect of the Compromise of 1850.-Mr. Clay's

Opinion of the Impolicy of an Imaginary Line.-The Bill for the Organization of the

Territory passes the House, making no Mention of Compromise or Slavery, and is

introduced into the Senate by Mr. Douglas, from the Committee on Territories, with-

out amendment.-The Debate in the Senate chiefly in regard to the Rights of the

Aborigines.-The Bill laid on the Table, for further Consideration of this Topic, and not

taken up during the Session.-At the next Session, Mr. Douglas introduces (January

4th, 1854) an Amendment to the Bill, proposing the Specific Repeal of the Missouri

Compromise. The large Majority in favor of it.-Memorials to Congress, in opposi-

tion to its Passage-one from three thousand and fifty Clergymen of New England.-

Effect of this Clerical Movement upon the Public Mind.-Final Passage of the Bill by

the House.-Action of the North.-The "Emigrant Aid" Companies.-Secret Associa-

tion of Members of Congress to resist the Objects of the Act.-The several Reports to

Congress-Further Proceedings as to Kansas.-Opposite Opinions of Mr. Davis and

Mr. Yancey.-Position of Mr. Douglas.-Extension of Slave Territory does not mean

Increase of Slavery.-The reasons why the Adoption of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill was

unavoidable,

CHAPTER XI.

. 269

Availability as the Motive of Nomination a Mistake of the Democracy in 1856, as it was of

the Whig Party in 1852.-Seditious Legislative Proceeding.-The Nomination of Fre-

mont and Dayton the first Instance of Sectionalism, as to Candidates for the Pres-

idency and Vice-Presidency.-Party Success, on merely available Grounds, insecure.—

Southern Leaders seeking to inform themselves as to Northern Sentiment.-Visit of

Mr. Davis to New England in 1858.-Mr. Toombs gives a Lecture in Boston.--Mr.

Lincoln's Opinion of the State of Union Sentiment at the South, during the War. 810

CHAPTER XII.

Hostility to a fundamental Provision of Law led to the War.-Other Causes which

concurred.-Mr. Webster's Expression-" A Bargain broken on one Side is broken on

all Sides," in 1851, showing his Opinion of the State of Things at that Period.-The

Book, called "The Impending Crisis of the South," recommended by Republican

Members of Congress and others.-The "Harper's Ferry Invasion"

818

CHAPTER XIII.

Want of Fidelity to the Constitution placed the Country in Circumstances tending to Open

Rupture." Historicus."-The Necessity of Strict Adherence to Constitutional Pro-

visions in a Republic.-The Danger still before the Country.-The South, in a Con-

stitutional Point of View.-Ex-Governor Andrew before a Committee of the Senate.—

The "People" did not bring about the War.-The Disunionists, in both Sections, to

whom it was owing, few in Number.-Governor Banks willing "to let the Union slide."

-A State Flag.-A Revolutionary Relic.—Mr. Quincy.-Red Republicans.—Mr. John

P. Hale's Opinion of the Likelihood of Dissolution if Lincoln should not be elected.

CHAPTER XIV.

Page 332

The several Party Conventions for the Nomination of President and Vice-President in the

Spring of 1860-the Democratic, the Constitutional Union, and the Republican.-The

Doings of each stated, and those of the Democratic and Republican Parties particularly

analyzed,
342

CHAPTER XV.

What has been shown in this Volume.-A Declaration of Mr. Lincoln, in 1858.-The

Prospects of the Canvass.-" Union-savers."-The Sentiment of the Army.-The Differ-

ence between the Whigs and the Freesoil Party.-The Election.-How Resentment at

the West, on account of alleged Ill-Treatment of Mr. Douglas, favored the Election of

Mr. Lincoln.-The Party of "Progress."-Young America,
366

CHAPTER XVI

After the Election, the Country first awoke to the Situation.-The Conservatives had the
decided Majority in the Senate, and the Control of the House.-The majority of the
Republicans in the North opposed to all Violent Measures, besides the strong Demo-
cratic and Conservative Strength in that Quarter.-The Majority at the South opposed
to Secession. Movements at the North to procure the Repeal of the "Personal
Liberty Bills," by Ex-Chief-Justice Shaw, Mr. Curtis, lately Associate Justice of the
United States Supreme Court, and others.-Public Meetings of Citizens.-Ridiculed
by the Radical Journals.-Governor Andrew on the "Clean Hands" of Massachusetts.—
The Concession required to save War really slight.-But the Radicals determined to
force Matters to an Issue.-Mr. Wade, Senator from Ohio.-Mr. F. P. Blair in regard
to Mr. Chase.-Opinion of Mr. Weed, late Editor of the Albany Journal.-Description
of Disunionists, North and South, by Mr. Andrew Johnson, now President of the
United States.-The New York Tribune.-General Scott,
880

CHAPTER XVII.

Not easy to define the precise Points upon which rested the Alternative of War or Peace,

before South Carolina passed the Ordinance of Secession.-Friendly Feelings between

the Majority of the People, North and South.—Mr. Beecher's Definition of the Cause.

--After the Secession of South Carolina the Breach could have been easily repaired.--

The Leaders of the "Geographical" Party the Obstacle.-The Question really not in the

Hands of the People, who dreaded the Idea of War for the Sake of the Union, but of

the Radical Party Managers.-The Mistake of the People in choosing such Men to

Office.-It was in Contravention of the Purposes of the Constitution,
390